


Scorpia

by nerdy_bookworm_1998



Series: Scorpia [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Language, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-02-04 18:51:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18610429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdy_bookworm_1998/pseuds/nerdy_bookworm_1998
Summary: What happens when the Barton sister no one knew about shows up at the Avengers Compound littered with injuries?





	1. Chapter 1

It's a normal day at the Avenger Compound with people milling about, that is until the sirens start blaring, signaling an intruder. The team rushes outside, weapons drawn, expecting to find an enemy, but are instead met with a young woman, various cuts adorning her body. "Y/N!" Natasha exclaims, running forward to catch the girl as she falls to the ground.

It had been three hours since the newcomer had appeared. She had been taken straight to the med bay where Bruce and doctor Cho worked tirelessly to stop the blood flow and try to heal her growing list of injuries. They had finally succeeded in stabilizing her and had gone to tell the team. 

"Okay, now that we know she's going to make it, I think we deserve some answers, don't you think so Romanoff?" Tony says with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

With a sigh, Nat sits down on the couch in the common room before speaking. "Y/N is Clint's younger sister. For the past five years, she's been living in SoHo as a writer. She also happens to be Enhanced, but she doesn't like to use her powers, which is why she never joined Shield or any other agency. She's always just wanted to be a regular person, if she's here, it means that someone found out about what she can do, which puts her in a lot of danger."

"So how did she get here without any of the scanners picking her up until she was only a few yards away from the building?" Tony asks, clearly perplexed.

"That is her secret to tell," the redhead says simply.

"I have a question," Thor says from where he is leaning against the windows," If she is Barton's sister, why come here? Surely she must know about his farm, why not go there instead?"

"Maybe she didn't know he's there at the moment?" Sam offers.

Before anyone can ask any more questions Friday's voice rings out, "Boss, you asked to be notified when Miss Barton woke up."

"Thank you, Friday," Tony says as he pushes away from the bar and starts walking in the direction of the elevator. "Well gang, let's go find out what answers Sleeping Beauty has for us."

READER'S POV:

When I woke up I didn't know where I was. After forcing my eyes open amid the harsh glare of the overhead fluorescent lights, I manage to take in my surroundings. It looks as if I'm in some high-end, ridiculously expensive hospital with all the machinery around me, the constant beeping of the heart monitor reassuringly steady. I'm completely alone. The last thing I remember is seeing Nat and a bunch of other people before I blacked out, the jump having taken the last of my available energy to get me to safety.

Clint is going to kill me for not calling him the moment I felt someone following me, but it's not exactly like I had the time to get my phone out of my bag before I got dragged into an alley. Normally I'm pretty observant and can hold my own in a fight, but these guys weren't just regular thugs, they had weapons and armor that made Tony Stark's Iron Man suit look like a kid's costume at the end of year play.

The sound of doors wooshing open draws me out of my reverie as I look up to see the people that made up Earth's Mightiest Heroes striding into the room with Natasha at the front.

"Sestra," I say, smiling because even if the circumstances weren't ideal, it was still so good to see the woman who was as close to me as a sister.

"Malen'kaya sestra, how are you feeling?" Nat says as she perches on the edge of my bed.

"Like the time we rode the Tower of Terror 5 times in a row," I try for a joking tone but it falls flat at the unimpressed look Nat gives me.

"Now that we've established that Baby Bird has a sense of humor, mind telling us how you managed to get so close to the compound without triggering Friday?" Tony pipes up

"Easy, I jumped," I shrug nonchalantly, the tug of the stitches ruins the effect when I wince.

"You jumped," Tony says incredulously.

"Boss, agent Barton just landed and is on his way to the med bay," Friday says.

"Oh boy, this is gonna be fun," I mutter under my breath.


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell were you thinking y/n?! You know how dangerous it is to jump when you're injured! Or did you forget about Brazil?!" Clint had been yelling for the past 20 minutes since he had stormed into the med bay with a look that could turn a Chitaurie warrior to stone but now I had had enough.

"I was thinking that I needed to get out of there before I got my ass handed to me any further! I know precisely how dangerous it is to jump when I'm injured, but I didn't exactly have much of a choice! Don't you dare bring Chase into this! I've regretted that day every single moment of my life for the last six years so I don't need you to rub any more salt in the wound, Clinton!" I cut him off, my tone matching his in volume and intensity. My chest heaves as I attempt to regain my composure before looking my brother in the eye again. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't let you know, but I didn't exactly have time to make a phonecall. Besides, I got here in one peice, more or less," I shrug my shoulders as Clint sits down on the bed beside me.

"I just want to know one more thing; why didn't you go to the farm?" Clint asks, his face much softer now, but still with a hint of fear that I knew was caused by my current state.

"Because I didn't know that you were there, and you know I would never put Laura and the kids in that kind of danger. If one of those morons followed me through and I couldn't protect them, and you weren't there, I would never be able to live with myself," I explained as calmly as I could.

"Tony, could you undo the cuffs, please? I wanna hug my sister," Clint says with tears building in his eyes. Once the cuffs are off my wrists Clint pulls me gently into his arms and whispers in my ear, "It's good to see you, Stinger."

"It's good to see you too, Feathers," I whisper back, fighting away the tears threatening to fall down my own cheeks.

I had been staying at the compound for a little over a week since it was safer there than going back to my apartment. Nat had gone over and collected my clothes and some of my other stuff so my room felt more like home.

Currently, I was sitting on the couch in the common room, working on a new novel. The rest of the team was spread out around the common room and kitchen; either cooking, working on their Starkpads, watching the extended edition of the Hobbit that was playing on the tv, or reading. The peace and quiet is disturbed by Tony bounding into the room with the look of a kid stuck in Disneyland overnight on his face.

"I have good news!" he announces.

"Did you finally figure out who keeps putting coffee grounds in the disposal?" Nat asks with a sardonic tone and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.

"No, but I will find out one of these days," Tony huffs out before grinning once more. "No, I figured out who sent those goons after Baby Bird," he says as he swipes across the screen of his Starkpad to bring up a holographic projection of a man with a face like a rat, balding hair, and a pudgy frame. "Meet Anton Peterson, owner of Peterson Corporation, a shell company for Hydra."

"Vy budete sozhalet' ob etom" I mutter under my breath.

Immediately sevral heads turn to look at me with expressions ranging from curiosity to worry. "Mladshaya sestra?" Nat asks in a worried tone.

"I've met that man before," I say to the room at large. "A few months ago he approached me in a cafe in Manhattan. He said that he had a position for me in his company, that they required someone of my skill set for a few delicate operations. When I told him to take his offer and shove it he spat at me that I would regret it before he stormed out. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but now..." I trail off, deep in thought.

"We should invite him in for a talk," Clint says from his perch on the back of my couch while cracking his knuckles, clearly meaning that he would let his fists do the talking. As much as my brother irritated me sometimes, I know that I can always count on him in a fight.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, and we have the perfect opportunity to do just that," Tony says, tapping away at the tablet, replacing Anton's photo with an invitation to a masquerade ball. "Suit up sweetheart, you're going undercover."


	3. Chapter 3

"Let's go over this one more time; Y/N and Bucky will enter through the main door. Once inside you will locate the mark. Bucky will then leave Y/N either at the bar or the edge of the dancefloor, depending on where the target is. If he is at the bar, she will slip the tranquilizer into his drink. If he asks her for a dance, she will inject him with the micro-needle. After that, they will lead him out through the side door where Natasha and I will be waiting with the van. Is everyone clear?" Steve asks for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, Cap. Will you relax? This isn't our first rodeo," Nat smirks as she pulls up to the rendezvous point a few blocks from the conference center where the ball is being held. The black town car that would take Bucky and me there was already waiting.

"I know that. But there is a lot riding on this going down without a hitch, I just want to make sure everyone is prepared," Steve replies, folding his arms over his stealth suit covered chest.

Turns out getting into the ball is the easy part. The town car pulled up to the entrance. Bucky got out first before extending a hand to help me out. We made our way up the steps to the door and handed the invitation to the guard who let us in with a pleasant smile.

Once inside we made our way to the ballroom located on the first floor. It was decorated to look as if we were in a giant tent with large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and crystal and gold wherever I turned. Clearly, it was trying to exude opulence but fell short and instead seemed tacky and over-done.

"I count easily twenty guards, but there could be more," Bucky whispered in my ear, his breath ghosting over the shell and making me shiver involuntarily.

"I see the mark, he's at the bar, talking with the bartender," I breath out.

"Do not approach him yet, wait until he is alone," Steve says through the comm in my ear.

"Roger that," I say before turning to Bucky with a smile as he leads me out onto the dancefloor.

"I know this is just a mission, but you look absolutely gorgeous tonight," Bucky says, ducking his head close to mine.

I cannot contain the smile that spreads across my lips, nor the heat that fills my cheeks at the compliment. "Nat helped me," I reply shyly. It was true, Natasha had picked out my outfit; a strappy black floor-length gown with a slit that ended just below the holster on my thigh, paired with golden stilettos and jewelry; done my hair so it framed my face; and applied my makeup so that my eyes appear larger, my skin gave a healthy glow, and my lips appeared plumper.

"I wasn't talking about the outfit doll, although it is breath-taking. You have this inner-fire that shines in your eyes and lights up the room brighter than a thousand burning suns," Bucky tells me as we sway back and forth across the dancefloor.

His complement has me completely left me completely speechless and I don't know how to respond. Luckily before I can make a fool of myself, I hear Natasha's voice in my ear, sounding thoroughly amused and exasperated at the same time.

"Can we keep our head on the mission, please? The mark has been eyeing you for the last minute and a half, looking like he wants to eat you for dinner. It's time to move in," Nat says.

"Copy that," Bucky says, his voice had gone all deep and husky, making my insides turn to jelly as he leads me from the dancefloor. Once near the bar he grasps my hand in his and places a soft kiss on the back before disappearing into the crowd.

Blinking away the haze that clouds my mind, I approach the bar and order an old-fashioned. Right on cue, Anton approaches me, a lecherous grin on his lips. "Hello beautiful, what's a pretty young thing like you doing here all alone?"

Plastering a flirty smile on my face, I turn to face him, making sure to push my chest out slightly as I answer, "I'm simply enjoying a drink while I wait for my date, although I would appreciate it if a handsome young man decided to keep me company for a while," I say in my best sultry tone while fluttering my lashes.

Anton's smile grows even wider as he puffs out his chest like some parading peacock. "I would consider it an honor," he says before flagging down the barman to order another old-fashioned. "So do you have a name? Or should I just call you gorgeous?"

I lean forward in my chair, making sure that he can see down the dress as I purr, "My name is whatever you want it to be, baby." I rest my hand high up on his thigh, feeling the muscles spasm at my touch, while the other slips over his drink as I pick it up and hand it to him. "What do you say we finish these drinks then get out of here?" I whisper in his ear.

I can practically hear him swallowing harshly as his hand lands on my waist and it's all I can do to keep my face from showing my revulsion. He quickly polishes off his drink then practically drags me out of the ballroom, his grip growing slacker with each step.

By the time we reach the hallway where Bucky is waiting, Anton is almost snoring. "What took you so long?" Bucky asks as he appears from the shadows, a frown tugging his lips downward.

"Would you relax? It's not as if I could just club him and drag him out of there," I grumble, shifting most of Anton's weight onto Bucky.

"If you two are done chirping at each other, you've got two guards incoming so you might want to haul your tails out of there," Nat says through the comms.

We quickly make our way towards the side door that will get us out of there but just as I touch the handle I hear a voice that spreads chills down my spine call out, "Stop right there!"

Oh shit...


	4. Chapter 4

I turn around slowly, coming face to face with the face of the man I had thought dead. "Chase..." I whisper, not yet able to believe my eyes as I take in the man in front of me. I remember Chase as a smiling ray of sunshine with short black hair, an easygoing smile, and warm brown eyes. The man in front of me still has short black hair, but there are dark blue highlights interspersed with the onyx strands, his mouth is pulled into a cruel smirk, and there is none of the warmth he once regarded me with in his eyes, only frigid calculations.

"Hello, Alexandria, or should I call you y/n?" Chase says pleasantly, but there is no emotion in his voice, only a cold detachment. "I would say that it is lovely to see you again, but that would be a lie. Now, I'm going to have to ask you to drop my friend over there and surrender."

"Not gonna happen," Bucky says from beside me. The sound of his voice brings me out of the haze of shock, my senses rushing back all at once and I take a step forward, angling my body so that I am between the two men.

"Bucky, get him out of here, I'll be right behind you," I say without taking my eyes off of Chase. I can hear that he wants to protest but I merely gesture for him to go before addressing Chase. "If you want to get to him, you'll have to go through me."

"Very well then," Chase shrugs, pulling a knife with a red blade from the inside of his coat before advancing towards me.

"I see you're still using Achilles," I note aloud as I let the twin blades I had hidden in my bracelets slide into my hands, the polished steel almost glowing in the artificial light.

"And you still favor Zeus and Poseidon, how quaint. I would have thought you would have thrown them away, as you did me," Chase purrs, advancing slowly as if he had all the time in the world.

"I thought you were dead! I didn't have any other choice!" I defend myself as I keep the knives raised in front of me, ready to strike.

"You could have gone back for me!" Chase screams in anger as he rushes at me, knife raised.

I block his attack and swiftly parry. The next minute is a flurry of knives ringing out together as we each block, parry, and trade would-be fatal blows. Finally, I manage to flick his knife away from his hand with my own blades. Trading my knives for fists, we continue running at one another until he accidentally turns his back on me. I take my chance and tackle him to the ground, pinning his hands behind his back and cutting off his airways with my legs. I only let go once he goes completely limp in my grip. Even then I am quick to slap a pair of cuffs on him in case it's only a ruse.

As I rise to my feet I'm breathing hard. I look over to the door to find Bucky still standing there, although he must have already deposited Anton into the van because the other man is nowhere in sight. "You okay?" Bucky asks as he approaches with my knives held out.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I say between gulping in lungfuls of air. Bucky hauls Chase up and starts walking with him to the door. As I follow him I pick up Achilles and slip it into the open holster spot on my thigh before slipping out of the door and closing it with a low click.

The ride back to the tower is silent and filled with tension. Both Anton and Chase are still out cold, lucky bastards. Nat and I are still reeling from finding out that Chase is still alive. Steve and Bucky clearly have a very long list of questions, but seem to sense that they aren't going to get any answers right now, so they content themselves with staring out of the front windshield as Steve winds the van through the mostly empty New York streets. There would be a time for asking questions, but tonight wasn't that time.


	5. Chapter 5

It's late at night, or maybe early morning. We got in a few hours ago. After booking both Anton and Chase into their respective cells for the foreseeable future, I changed into leggings and an oversized sweater before making my way up to the roof. I'm curled up on one of the big lounge chairs, looking up at the stars and imagining myself a thousand miles away from here.

I don't want to go to sleep yet. I know what I'll see when I do and I can't handle it right now. I'm brought out of my reverie by a mug sliding into my line of sight. I look up to see a gently smiling Bucky looking down at me. "I thought you might like some hot chocolate?" he asks softly.

"Thanks," I give him a small smile as I take the outstretched mug. Blowing gently to cool the warm liquid before taking a sip I let my eyes slip shut as I hum in appreciation. Opening my eyes I find that Bucky has taken the seat next to me. "This is really good, thank you," I tell him sincerely.

"You're very welcome. It was my ma's recipe," Bucky says, an adorable blush coating his high cheekbones. After a moment of comfortable silence, Bucky clears his throat and speaks hesitantly, "So the guy, Chase, what's his story?"

"Chase is, or at least he used to be, an old friend of mine. About seven years ago I was living in Brazil and we met at a local hangout. We became best friends, but I always got the idea he wanted more. Any way Clint and Nat had a mission in Brazil, they asked me to help them, Chase came along since he knew the area we would be going to. It was an ambush, they were waiting for us. He got caught in the crosshairs. The last I saw of him was when he pushed me out of the second story window just before the building went up in flames. I've blamed myself every single day since..." my voice trails off as I wipe the tears from my eyes. Bucky puts a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry y/n. I'm sorry that you had to go through that," he says softly as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"I don't know what happened to him after that day, but I know that the Chase I knew is long gone. Maybe he never even existed," I shrug, taking another sip from my mug.

"Whether he's gone or not, you still have family and friends here who care. We'll stand by you. I'll even go in with you to talk to him if that's what you decide to do, okay?" Bucky says, gently pulling me over to his seat and tucking me into his side.

"Thank you, Bucky. You're a really good friend, and an even better human being," I say, pecking his cheek before snuggling back down next to him.

We stay there until the sun starts to rise, then we go back down and he walks me back to my room, giving me a tight bear hug before departing for his own door. I think Bucky and I could be very good friends...


	6. Part 6

It is almost completely silent in the concrete halls under Avengers Tower. The only sounds are the incessant buzz of the overhead lights and the clicking of my heels against the tiles. At the end of the corridor is a row of large cells with a floor to ceiling glass window and heavy iron door that can only be opened from the outside with a small slot near the floor to push trays of food through three times a day.

Two of the cells are lit and occupied. However, my focus is solely on the one on the right. Sitting quietly at the small table, just finishing lunch, is Chase. At the sound of my approach Chase looks up, his face is a collage of bruises from Clint's interrogation. Despite his face being swollen like a watermelon, Chase smiles merrily at me, his eyes devoid of life. "I knew you would come to visit me sooner or later, y/n, you never could stay away," Chase says, sounding almost cheerful.

"Don't flatter yourself asshole, I'm just here for the tray," I hiss, straightening my already ramrod straight back and walking over to the door. 

Chase pushes the tray through without a word. It is as I move back down the hall that he calls out to me, "I always knew you were a lying bitch, I just never thought you would be desperate enough to get into bed with a murderer!"

I stop in my tracks and slowly turn to face him, confusion and anger written plainly across my face. "What the hell are you talking about Chase?"

"I knew when we met what your real name was, but I pretended to believe the name you gave me. After that, I pretended to believe every bullshit excuse you gave me whenever you went off on missions with your spy friends. I also saw the way you and Barnes looked at each other when you captured me. Tell me, how does it feel to let the man who killed so many innocent people pound you into the mattress?" Chase sneers as my hands curl into fists.

"You're lucky that this wall is between us," I snarl before turning back around and walking away.

"You know you can never escape the race, y/n! Sooner or later he will find you and make you wish you had never been born!" Chase shrieks as I ignore him, stepping into the lift and pressing the button for the common room.

Once the doors have slid shut I take a deep breath. "Friday, please run a search for Remmy Vasquez, and locate my brother."

"Running the search now miss. Mister Barton is in the lounge along with miss Romanoff, Sergeant Barnes, Captain Rogers, and Mister Wilson," Friday replies a moment later.

"Thank you, Friday," I call as the doors to the common room slide open. I drop the tray in the kitchen before going into the lounge. Clint, Nat, Bucky, Steve, and Sam are all lounging on the couches watching a movie. Bucky looks up and smiles as I enter. When he registers my expression he springs to his feet and walks over.

"What's wrong, doll?" Bucky asks softly as he lays his hands on my arms, rubbing soothing circles through the fabric. He leads me over to an empty chair and sits down with me. By now the others have also noticed that there's something wrong.

"Y/N?" Clint asks firmly, breaking me from my reverie. I look up to see everyone wearing concerned expressions.

I look into Nat's eyes as I speak, avoiding my brother's gaze. "Krysa zhivet. On idet za mnoy."

"YA ub'yu yego, poka on ne kosnulsya tvoyey golovy!" Nat hisses, her eyes scanning the room as if looking for an intruder. Beside me Bucky has gone as still as a statue, his breathing coming in short, shallow bursts.

"Buck? What's wrong?" Steve asks, noticing his friend's panic.

"I-I know that name. It's one I hoped I would never hear again," Bucky explains.

Before I can ask how Bucky knows about The Rat sirens go off and Friday announces that the tower is under attack. Everyone scrambles for weapons and tac gear. I guess this conversation will just have to wait.


	7. Chapter 7

It's much later that evening with everyone sitting in the common room, each nursing a drink and an ice pack, that I finally reveal my story.

"While I was staying in Brazil I ran into this guy named Remmy Vasquez. He calls himself The Rat. He's the head of the Brazillian mafia with ties to almost every country and criminal organization in the world, including Hydra. I caught his attention about half a year after I moved there, and not in a good way," I explain quietly.

"What did you do?" Steve asks kindly, shifting forward in his seat.

"I blew up a few factories and warehouses holding enough weapons and ammo to take down a third-world country and freed the women and children they were using as slaves," I shrug before being reminded of my tweaked shoulder as it sends a stab of pain down my arm.

"What I didn't know was that the cameras on the buildings continuously uploaded their feeds to a cloud server, meaning he knew exactly what I looked like and how I operated. He invited me for a little chat to offer me a place in his ranks, or the Race, as he calls it. When I declined he told me to take some more time to think it over, that sooner or later I would join. I laughed then walked away. A few months later Clint and Nat show up on my doorstep asking me to help them take out a cartel dealing in trafficking enhanced individuals." The room is silent enough to hear a pin drop.

"Woah, hold up. Do you mean to tell me all of this is connected? That you getting attacked, the proposition from Anton, finding Chase, who I never liked, by the way, is all connected to this Remmy guy?! Why didn't you ever tell me?" Clint rants as he paces up and down the room, running his hands through his hair in irritation.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't think that it was important. Besides, you've had more than enough on your plate the last few years, I didn't want to add my problems on top of that," I plant myself in my brother's path and grab onto his arms, trying to get him to understand.

"That's what family is for kiddo; sharing each other's problems so that you don't have to go through it alone. Fuck knows I've dropped enough of my issues on your shoulders throughout the years that you should have been able to come to me with this and a whole lot more," Clint is still visibly upset but his eyes are softer now as he pulls me into a tight hug. "No more secrets," he whispers to me.

"No more secrets," I whisper back as I feel Nat come up behind me and wrap her arms around both me and my brother in an uncharacteristic display of affection.

"Moi dva idiota," Nat says with a smile as she lets us go. I catch Bucky's eye in time to see him biting the inside of his cheek to stop from laughing.

"I would say that this constant switching to other languages so that we can't understand you is annoying, but I'm used to it by now. So instead I will say that this ratatouille guy messed with the wrong people. We are going to take him and his empire down," Tony pipes up from behind the bar, a sickly green smoothie in hand and a wide grin plastered across his face as if Christmas had come early.

"I really appreciate that Tony, but I can't ask you guys to get involved. This is my fight," I try to object but Tony just waves me off.

"Nonsense! It's just like Legolas said, families, are there to help each other. You're his and Nat's family, which means you're also ours. Now if you will excuse me, I have some work to do in the lab. I'll have Friday call you all when I find something. For now, I suggest that you get some sleep, you look like death warmed over," Tony says with a serious face before flouncing off to the elevator.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna take Tony's advice and hit the hay. I'll see you guys in the morning," Sam announces before making his way to the elevator, stopping briefly to give me a quick hug and a whispered, "Welcome to the family."

One by one the rest of the team shuffles off to either go sleep or enjoy their various pursuits after handing out hugs and welcome until it's just me and Bucky. "Are you gonna head to sleep too?" Bucky asks casually as he finishes off the last of his beer.

"Nah, I think I'm gonna watch a movie for a while. You're welcome to join me if you want," I offer with a shy smile as I plop down on the couch and pull one of the flannel blankets over my legs.

"Sounds like fun," Bucky grins as he plants himself next to me and I lift the blanket so he can snuggle beneath it. We settle on watching Beauty and the Beast but within the first half-hour we're both fast asleep with my head resting on his chest and his arms wrapped securely around my waist, both of us completely oblivious to the pair of blue eyes watching us with a smile from the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation: Moi dva idiota (My two idiots)


	8. Chapter 8

It takes Tony and Friday two days to gather all relevant intel and come up with a plan of attack. In that time, it seems as if I can never have a moment alone. Either Clint is always dragging me off to training with Nat, or Wanda is roping me into cooking and baking with her. It's not that I don't appreciate their attempts at keeping me preoccupied, but all I want is a chance to just breathe, and maybe talk with Bucky about how he knows the rat...

My chance comes unexpectedly that morning at 3 am. Sleep had evaded me and I found myself in the kitchen, making a brownie in a mug. I had just taken it from the microwave and topped it with chocolate ice cream and chocolate mousse when I heard whisper-soft footsteps coming down the hall. Bucky appeared from around the corner and judging by the circles around his eyes, sleep wasn't being very kind to him either.

He stopped dead when he saw me, clearly expecting to be the only one awake at this hour. I give him a soft smile. "Hey, would you like a chocolate heart-attack?" I hold out the mug in my hand, biting my lip to keep myself from giggling at his confused expression.

"What's that?" Bucky asks, tilting his head slightly to the side as he takes a seat at the breakfast bar.

"It's a brownie in a mug, topped with chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse and a glass of milk on the side," I explain, gesturing to the ingredients on the counter.

"Um...sure, that sounds nice. Thanks, doll," Bucky says with a soft smile.

Once we're sitting on opposite sides of the table, each with a chocolate heart-attack in front of us, I cautiously broached the subject that has been knawing away at the back of my mind. "So, um, how do you know about the rat race and all of that?"

Bucky scratches the back of his neck before taking a bite of the chocolatey goodness in front of him, chewing slowly as he mulled over what he wanted to say. "Well, you probably already know that I worked for Hydra before Steve found me again in DC, right? Well, it wasn't just Hydra. As far as I can tell from the fragments that I've started remembering, and the files Stark keeps digging up, the soldier... he went to whoever was the highest bidder. And at one point that was the Rat. I was his enforcer, executioner, whatever you want to call it. But you see, there was one thing he did differently than all the rest. He never wiped me properly, or something like that. Anyway, something he did made his time as my handler more clear. I can recall everything about that time with more clarity. I won't go into detail, but let's just say that Remmy Vasquez makes Alexander Pierce look like a saint in comparison." Bucky smiles grimly.

"I'm sorry that you had to go through all that..." I say quietly as I place my hand over his. It's a long moment before Bucky turns his hand over and laces his fingers with mine, squeezing gently.

Just as I open my mouth to say something else Clint clears his throat from the door, causing me to jump and almost knock over my mug while Bucky hastily let go of my hand. I hadn't even heard him come in. Clint looks far too amused for my liking as he leans against the doorjamb with his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. "If you two are done, there's a meeting in the conference room in 10," he says before strolling from the room, whistling.

I drop my head into my hands, murmuring, "I'm going to kill him..."


	9. Chapter 9

"All right team, huddle up! We've finally located Vasquez. He's in a compound, on a remote island, off the coast of Brazil. This is going to be in and out. But that does not mean that it will be easy, which is why we're going in with the whole team. Your assignments are in the dockets in front of you. Wheels up in 30. Dismissed." Steve is even more in command than usual. He gets like that when running on less than 3 hours of sleep, according to Tony.

After running up to my room to get dressed and pack my weapons, I'm strapped into my seat near the back of the quinjet, quietly dosing. I'm jarred awake by the sound of Nat announcing that we are 12 minutes out. I rub the sleep from my eyes and yawn, willing the grogginess from my mind as I go over my inventory of weapons. I'm supposed to stick close to Steve and Bucky as we clear the compound and search for Vasquez.

Nat lands the jet in a small clearing about a mile from the compound and lowers the ramp. By some miracle, we manage to sneak right up to the compound walls and get inside without a hitch. From there it's a little bit more difficult. The teams all split off in separate directions with Steve, Bucky and I taking the central corridor.

We had only gone a few hundred yards when metal doors clamped down around us and the space started to fill with noxious smelling gas, making my throat burn and my eyes water. Steve and Bucky were trying to beat down the metal, but it was all in vain. The edges of my vision were starting to go dark as I choked on air. "Bucky..." I gasp out before my world goes dark.

When I finally manage to wake up again, it's probably hours later. My body aches, my mouth tastes like cardboard, my airways hurt, and my eyes are itchy. I go to rub them but stop short when I realize I can't move. I slowly blink my eyes open. I'm in some sort of damp cell, the smell of decay is heavy on the air. I'm chained to a hard wooden chair. There is a table in front of me, and on the other side, the man I had hoped to never see again.

"Hello, my dear. Welcome to the race..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know it's been more than a month since I last updated and I am very sorry for the delay! I had a ton of studying to do since I had to write 3 different subject exams, 4 class tests and finish 2 big projects within 3 days and then I had some major writers block but I finally managed to get it done and I'm so happy I did! Hope you all enjoy. Feel free to yell at me in the comments.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE WENT?!" Bucky was pacing up and down the conference room like a caged animal, constantly running his hands through his hair and pulling at it in frustration. After he and Steve had woken up from the gas attack they had found y/n missing, as if she had never been with them in the first place. They had swept every square inch of the base but came up empty-handed.

The only people who were taking this harder than Bucky were Clint and Natasha, who both sat with their heads in their hands, quietly berating themselves while Bucky went off on Tony who had just given them the bad news.

Before Tony could retort Friday cut in, "Boss, mister Ryder wishes to speak with agent Barton and Sergeant Barnes, he says it's about miss Barton."

"Thank you, Friday. Does anyone want to wager a guess on why our guest is suddenly so talkative?" Tony asks as he leans back in his seat.

"It's probably something to do with Remmy and where he's holding my sister. Come on Barnes, let's go hear what that son of a bitch has to say for himself," Clint says as he rises from his seat and marches from the room with Bucky right on his heels.

\----

"Alright, I am going to give you one more chance to tell me where my sister is and then I am going to leave and get my good friend Natasha to talk to you, and trust me, she's not going to be nearly as nice as we are," Bucky and Clint smile cheerfully at the thought of what Natasha would do to the man currently tied to a chair and sporting a broken nose, two black eyes, and a myriad of cuts and bruises.

"Fine! You win! I don't know the exact location but I can tell you the clue that I was given to find it. In the empire of the dead, you need only look for the blood skull near the bridge of love to find the race of the living. That's all I know, I swear!" Chase pleads, thrashing violently in his bonds.

"If you're lying to us," Bucky hisses, putting his face close to Chase's, "I'm going to come back in here, and I'm going to make you wish you had died in that explosion." With that final threat, both he and Clint leave. Once back in the elevator, he turns to Clint. "I think I know where she is."

"And if you are? Where are we going?" Clint asks anxiously.

"Then we're going to Paris."

\----  
I had no idea how long I've been here, so far I've managed to survive three races. After each race armed guards escort me back to my cell; a cold, damp room that smells of rotting water with a thin mattress with the springs sticking into my back and a single thin, ragged blanket for warmth. I curl up on the bed despite its discomfort and try to get some sleep as I listen to the sounds of the people in the cells around me, their screams of agony and torture. I don't make a peep, I refuse to give them the satisfaction.

I had just started to nod off when the door to my cell opens and Remmy walks in, smiling pleasantly. "Hello, my dear. I hope you like your accommodations, I hand-selected every item."

I merely glare up at him, not feeling like giving him any more joy from my current situation than he was already getting.

"As lovely as you look right now, I'm afraid you are not properly dressed for your appointment with the doctor," he tuts disapprovingly as his eyes slowly raked across my body clad in a light tank top and shorts, his gaze making my skin crawl and bile rise in my throat. He turns to the female guard posted at the door and addresses her, "Charlotte, my dear, would you please prep her and take her to the doctor's lab?" then sweeps from the room.

Charlotte steps into the room and yanks me roughly to my feet. "Come on you!" she sneers as she drags me from the room. After being stripped down, blasted with a power washer, and tossed a sports bra and boyshorts, she escorts me down labyrinthine hallways to what looks like a sci-fi movie torture chamber on steroids. I'm pushed down onto the cold table and secured into the restraints.

Moments later a scrawny, bald man in a lab coat walks into the room. "Hello miss Barton. I am Doctor Schleipp. I am sure by now you must be wondering why that parlor trick of yours does not work? Well to put it simply my dear, when you were first brought to me, I inserted a chip that would render you unable to use your enhancement. Now, today we will be conducting a series of experiments so I suggest you relax and settle in, it is going to be a very long day."

He has just reached my side when the lights start flashing red, a siren starts going off along with a metallic female voice announcing; "Intruder alert. Intruder alert."

I let a delighted grin take over my features. "I'd start running if I were you, doc because once my friends get here you're a dead man."


	11. Chapter 11

Despite my warning, the doctor just ignores me and starts rummaging around in one of the metal cabinets that line the walls. He produces an extra-large syringe full of glittering black liquid and an extra-large needle. It would have looked comical if it weren’t for the sinister gleam in his eyes as he approaches me. Gentleness isn’t this guys’ forte because he jabs the needle almost viciously into my thigh. Regardless of my resolve not to give a reaction, the pain of being stabbed must have broken my brain-to-mouth filter as several highly colorful expletives pour from my mouth.

Just as he is about to press down on the plunger that would push the liquid into my veins, there is a bang as the doors burst open and a dull thud as an arrow embeds itself into the doctor’s forehead. I whip my head to the side to see Clint holding his bow and a look of anger on his face that would make even Thor quiver in his boots. “Get away from my sister!”

After a quick scan of the room to make sure no one else is in the room, Clint drops his bow and jogs over to me. He removes the needle from my leg, careful to avoid the plunger, and tosses it aside. His eyes quickly scan and assess my visible injuries. “You just can’t seem to stay out of trouble, can you? This is why I should put a leash on you. Unbelievable…” he grins at me, trying and failing to mask his terror and relief.

“Just get me out of these restraints already so I can kick your ass for taking so damn long birdbrain!” I huff playfully and roll my eyes. Trust my brother to make me want to hug and slap him at the same time.

He presses a button on the comm device in his ear. “I’ve got y/n, but she’s stuck in metal cuffs and I can’t see any way to get her out. Can one of you come help?” Clint had barely finished speaking when Bucky came barrelling into the room, rifle slung over his back and a murderous look in his eyes which vanished when I gave him a soft smile.

“Hey, there soldier, you here to bust me out?” I bat my eyes flirtatiously as he strides across the room, taking hold of the cuffs one at a time and ripping them off like I would rip up paper.

Once I’m freed, he gently pulls me into his chest, arms wrapped securely around me. “Thank heavens you’re okay. I would never be able to live with myself if something happened to you…” he whispers into my ear before pulling away just enough to look into my eyes, “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” And then his lips are on mine in a firm kiss and I can almost feel his fear and relief pouring into every touch. I try my best to reciprocate with calm and reassurance as I wind my arms around his neck to pull him closer.

The moment is broken by the sound of my brother clearing his throat. “Alright lovebirds, just because I’m okay with this doesn’t mean you get to rub it in my face the whole time.” I can only laugh and smile at the men in front of me. Bucky gently helps me to my feet, but my legs start to give out underneath me so instead, he opts for letting me climb onto his back so that his hands are free as we make our way out of the facility.

The whole place is swarming with shield agents apprehending the rat’s henchmen and tending to the people who were kept, prisoner. There are places where there are large holes in the ceiling and walls. Clint notices my brows furrowing in confusion. “Hulk was very concerned about you and not very happy with the bad guys who took his new friend,” he grins and winks at me.

Soon we’re on the quinjet with the rest of the team and on our way home. I’m wrapped in a blanket and cuddled close to Bucky’s side with his arm wrapped securely around me as I close my eyes and begin to drift off, sleepy and content to be surrounded by my family.


	12. Epilogue

The aftermath of the team rescuing me had been… hectic to say the least. Remmy had been captured and was now spending the rest of his miserable days in a high-security cell on The Raft. His associates had all been captured, killed, or had disappeared without a trace. Shuri had managed to remove the chip which repressed my powers. She had also healed all my injuries sustained during my stay in Paris. Shield had taken custody of Chase and Anton. Everyone who had been captured had been reunited with their families or were helped to start a new life. As for me, I officially joined the Avengers, continue to write, and enjoy a quiet life. Well mostly quiet…

“Bucky, what’s going on? Where are we going?” I giggled as Bucky slowly guided me forward since I couldn’t see anything from under the blindfold.

“You’ll see,” is his only reply. “Alright and stop. Take the blindfold off.”

I whip the fabric off to find all our friends and family on the rooftop relaxation area of the compound. “Surprise!” they yell in unison.

“Happy anniversary sweetheart,” Bucky whispers in my ear, his arms wrapped around my waist.

“Happy anniversary Bucky,” I whisper back before pulling him down for a sweet kiss to the cheers of our loved ones.


End file.
